The German Consulate in Bangalore will open visa application and processing centres in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi next year, said Consulate General Jorn Rohde. Addressing mediapersons here on Saturday, Rohde said the centres would accept tourist and business visa applications.
“Germany is witnessing around 20 per cent increase in the number of Indian students joining its universities,” Rohde said.
“Free and quality education is attracting a large number of Indian students, especially for engineering and medical streams,” he said.
“The state universities have 8 per cent quota for foreign students. The living expenses, barring a few cities such as Munich, are comparatively low when compared to other European cities,” he said.
“Chinese nationals, estimated at around 30,000, form a good majority of foreign students,” he said.
Rohde said the new visa centres would foster the business tie-ups between the countries. “Around 50,000 visas were issued during the past two years. The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce office in Bangalore is working to attract more investments to India,” he said.